D. H. Charles Engineering, Inc. is a civil/structural engineering firm, which has specialized in providing rapid and professional construction engineering services to contractors throughout the United States for the past fourteen years. In the past 6 years alone, over 6,000 projects have been completed under the supervision of original founder the late Don Charles, P.E., current President Jasper Calcara, P.E., and Chief Engineer Robin Ko, P.E.

A professional and knowledgeable staff ensures each and every client is provided with the most efficient and economical design possible, and in many cases, same day turnaround is provided.  DHC goes out of it way to ensure its clients on the East Coast and throughout the U.S. are provided with the same quality of service as is provided to contractors in its home state.  E-mailed, faxed and/or overnight-signed plans and calculation packages can ensure important deadlines are always met.

The firm is currently licensed to practice engineering in all 50 states.

Specific Engineering Services Provided

Excavation Shoring plans for jack & bore pits, pump stations, manholes, cofferdams, foundations, pipe trenches, tank removal/installation, contaminated soil removal, etc. per OSHA and Caltrans’ Trenching and Shoring Manual using the following construction methods:

• Beam and plate (soldier piles)
• Sheet piles
• Trench shields and manhole boxes
• Slide rail systems
• Soil nail walls
• Cofferdams
• Hydraulic trench jacks
• Deadmen and tiebacks

Excavation Safety & Slope Stability plans to approve temporary excavations for trenches or new structures over 20’-deep, or steeper than limits outlined in federal OSHA regulations.

Falsework, Formwork & Reshore design for building seismic retrofits, renovations, new suspended slabs, bridge widening, box girder bridges, etc. per Caltrans’ Falsework Design Manual, and ACI Formwork specifications.

Structural Shoring design for building and bridge retrofit, in order to temporarily relieve/support loading of structural members to allow for modification or replacement, or new footing construction.

Bridge Jacking design per Caltrans’ Bridge Design Specifications and Caltrans’ Falsework Design Manual to lift bridge decks from supports and allow for abutment and bearing pad retrofit operations.

Scaffold Design, including access scaffold for low and high-rise work, structural shoring systems, work platforms, pedestrian canopies, hanging platforms, containment structures for bridges retrofit, and misc. temporary stages, bridges and towers.

Shoring Equipment Design, including trench shields, manhole boxes, slide rail systems, arch spreaders, and miscellaneous specialized equipment, in accordance with Federal Osha guidelines.

Roof Suspension Equipment design, including portable and fixed davit, socket and pedestals, adjustable outriggers, fall protection and arrest systems, controlled decent apparatus, tie-back anchors, swing stage components, and temporary rigging layouts.

Crane/Rigging Design, including tower crane footings, spreader beams, picking frames, complex rigging plans, mast climber supports, demolition, and structural shoring for heavy equipment loading.

Demolition Related Design, including structure evaluation for demolition phasing/heavy equipment access, column and wall stability bracing, structural shoring, demolition debris support and containment platforms.

Permanent Works design of reinforced concrete, steel, timber, masonry, and aluminum structures in accordance with ACI, AISC, NDS, Aluminum Design Manual, and Uniform Building Code.

Reinforcing Steel Erection Stabilization design, including complex wire rope stabilization systems, internal and external steel templates, erection and fabrication supports, and lifting beam and rigging assembly design.